Carolina Journal Radio No. 712: N.C. lawmakers change balance of power with governor

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North Carolina lawmakers took steps in December to reorganize several large chunks of state government. They cut back the number of political appointments incoming Gov. Roy Cooper can make, while removing his ability to appoint members to UNC campus boards of trustees and subjecting his Cabinet appointments to legislative review. Lawmakers also consolidated state agencies that deal with elections, ethics, lobbying, and campaign finance. John Locke Foundation Senior Vice President Becki Gray analyzes key elements of the reorganization legislation. A recent state review critiqued the North Carolina Medicaid program’s efforts to detect waste, fraud, and abuse. You’ll hear highlights from the review conducted by the General Assembly’s Program Evaluation Division, plus reaction from the state Medicaid director and leading legislators. It’s not clear when the military will conduct another edition of Base Realignment and Closure, BRAC, but state government is already taking steps to prepare. Cornell Wilson, outgoing secretary of the N.C. Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, recently detailed the state’s BRAC plans for a legislative committee. Charlotte attracted national attention in the fall because of the riots that followed the fatal police shooting of a black man. Now that the city has calmed down, lawmakers are trying to learn what worked and what didn’t work as the city and state governments responded to the unrest. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Deputy Police Chief Jeff Estes briefed a legislative committee on the city’s review of the incident. You’ll hear highlights from his remarks along with legislators’ reactions. The N.C. Court of Appeals has rejected an appeal from outgoing N.C. Gov. Pat McCrory in his longstanding public-records dispute with media outlets and two left-of-center advocacy groups. Carolina Journal Editor-in-Chief Rick Henderson analyzes the significance of the ruling. Henderson also addresses new Gov. Roy Cooper’s approach to government transparency.